Advanced Animagus Studies
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Headmistress Minerva decides all the Heads of House must participate in an Animagus class. From Severus' POV. Will he be able to get along with his new colleague and Gryffindor Head of House Harry Potter? AU after DH, Sev alive, partl. OOC, sick!Severus
1. Chapter 1

**Advanced Animagus Studies**

**Chapter 1**

It was the afternoon of the first of September when the Hogwarts teachers gathered in the staff room for their last staff meeting before the beginning of the new school year. Severus grinned inwardly as he watched his two new colleagues, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Both had just finished their NEWTs two months ago, after they had taken their seventh year as soon as the school had reopened after the war. Potter was the new Transfiguration teacher and Gryffindor Head of House, while the annoying know-it-all would be the new professor for History of Magic. '_Oh well, she can't be worse than the ghost, at least not for the students_,' Severus mused when Minerva brought him out of his reverie by beginning the meeting.

"I have thought of something," Minerva announced, causing everyone to look up at her enthusiastic tone.

The Scottish lioness cleared her throat in a vain attempt to make her voice sound less hoarse. '_Oh right, Minerva, just pass your cold to us right before the beginning of the school year_,' Severus thought, groaning inwardly, as the Headmistress continued to speak.

"I would like to teach all of you how to become an Animagus. I don't know if you're interested, but at least for the Heads of House I believe the ability of transforming into an animal would be of great importance. I have always found it extremely helpful that I could transform into my feline form if necessary."

Ignoring the collective gasp, she continued, "As long as the weather is so fine and it's already light early in the morning, I suggest we'll meet out on the grounds an hour before breakfast every morning. Is anyone interested to participate in our study group apart from the Heads of House?" She curiously glanced around as she took a few sips of her tea, before she wrapped her hands around her favourite mug, on which a cat was waving a wand, transfiguring another cat consecutively into several other animals.

"I'd love to become an Animagus," Granger spoke up.

"So do I," Potter agreed with the insufferable know-it-all.

"Did I understand correctly that it's not facultative for the Heads of House?" Filius queried, causing Minerva to nod.

"Yes, I'd like the four of you to at least try. For everyone else it is of course voluntary."

"Would it perhaps be possible that we met in the spare room of the hospital wing?" Poppy spoke up. "I'd love to join you, but I can't close the hospital wing for a whole hour before breakfast."

In the end, they decided to meet in the room Poppy had suggested, and apart from the four Heads Hermione and Poppy entered the Animagus class.

"Very well," Minerva said contentedly, still craving the warmth of her mug. "I am very sorry, Severus, but would you mind brewing six doses of the Animagus potion for tomorrow morning?"

"Of course," Severus replied, keeping his groan for himself. '_Couldn't she tell me earlier? I don't have time enough until the Welcoming Feast, and later on, I have to attend our House meeting. It'll be a long night_,' he mused, sighing inwardly.

HP

Severus prepared as much of the ingredients as possible in advance, before he had to go and greet the new first-years and conduct the Sorting. After the seemingly endless ceremony, he finally brought the Sorting Hat away and took his seat at the Head table between Minerva and, to his chagrin, Harry Potter.

Minerva seemed not to be her usual cheery self, and as sorry as Severus felt for his colleague, who was obviously feeling unwell, he couldn't help but enjoy the quiet. He slowly ate his meal, watching the students from his slightly higher position at the Head table like a hawk. '_An interesting group of first-years I seem to have this year_,' he mused as he let his eyes travel over the Slytherin table. '_Half of them are Muggle borns_.'

All of a sudden, Harry's voice pulled him out of his reverie. "Severus," Harry addressed him in what seemed to be a hesitant tone. "I was just wondering about something. During my school days, I heard you were always conducting House meetings. Minerva never did such a thing in Gryffindor; however, I'm wondering if I should introduce it to my House. Do you have any recommendations or advice?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at his younger colleague. "Mr. Potter," he thoughtfully began to explain, "the situation of the students in Slytherin has always been very different from those of the unperturbed children in Gryffindor. Therefore, it was necessary for our House to have a close personal relationship within the House, which my colleagues apparently deemed as not necessary for their own. If you want to remedy this, you're free to do so, and I believe a weekly House meeting won't hurt the students nor would it rob them of their freedom."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied, before he had the gull to turn to him once more. "I'd like to suggest something to all the Heads of House. While I was a student, I suffered greatly by the bad inter-House relationship. Considering that the war is over, I think we should try to improve the relationship between the Houses. We could, for example, gather all the first years this Saturday or Sunday and let them do a rally all over Hogwarts. We could make small groups of four students, one from each House, and make them answer questions and look up things all over the castle, so they'd get to know each other and Hogwarts at the same time."

"I believe that's a wonderful idea," Minerva said warmly, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow at his older colleague.

"I'd love to help Harry organize the whole thing," the know-it-all threw in, making Severus groan at her enthusiastic tone.

"All right; I suggest the two of you plan the event for Saturday next week, and we'll speak about it in our staff meeting next Thursday," Minerva replied, throwing Severus a questioning look.

"Very well," Severus sneered, secretly thinking that it was a good idea, although he'd not admit that to the Gryffindor and the annoying know-it-all. '_Maybe abolishing the differences between the Houses will help Slytherin to get a better image for the future_,' he mused, tuning his excited colleagues' voices off.

HP

Severus sighed in relief as dinner was over. He strode behind the Slytherin table and announced, "House meeting in fifteen minutes," before he left the Great Hall through a side door and took a few short cuts leading to his private quarters. He let himself sink in his favourite green fireside chair and summoned a headache potion from his private lab, glad he had left the door open earlier.

'_They're too young and inexperienced to be professors_,' he mused, feeling absolutely annoyed with the Headmistress' choice of their new colleagues. '_Well, I have to try to get along with them_.' He sighed in relief as he felt the potion take effect. After a short detour to the bathroom to relieve himself, he headed through the connecting door from the end of his little corridor straight into the Slytherin common room.

HP

An hour later, Severus was back. He had told the students of their plans to improve the relationship between the Houses, and his little snakes had accepted the information surprisingly well after he had explained that it would be for the benefit of their own House. '_I still have to brew the Animagus potion_,' he mused as he dragged himself into his private lab, surprised at how exhausted he felt that evening. '_School hasn't even begun yet_,' he thought, groaning inwardly.

By the time he woke up in the morning, he still felt exhausted. After a glance at his alarm clock, he hurried to get ready for the day, grabbed the six phials of the Animagus potion and strode to the hospital wing, absolutely annoyed by the thought of having an Animagus class before breakfast. When he arrived at the small side room of the wing, everyone else was already assembled.

"Good morning, Severus. Thank you so much for brewing the Animagus potion for us," Minerva croaked, causing Severus to throw her a half annoyed half concerned look.

"Are you all right, Minerva?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"No, she isn't," Poppy was the first to reply, "and you can be sure I'm going to confine her to bed as soon as she has pleased her curiosity to see what kind of animals we're going to become."

"That's what you think," Minerva snorted, before she let out a few harsh coughs. "Who wants to begin? I suggest you lie down here on the bed after taking the potion, because the first Transformation might hurt a bit."

"I'd like to go first."

'_Who else than the annoying know-it-all_,' Severus groaned inwardly. '_I'm sure she's going to become a parrot_,' he mused, '_knowing how good she is at reciting the exact wordings from books_.'

The girl, '_no, young woman_,' Severus corrected himself, sat on the bed and gulped down the potion Severus handed her. At first, nothing happened, and Severus was just about to begin questioning his potion, as absurd that would be, when the know-it-all finally transformed into a weasel.

'_Oh well, that's surprising, but it fits nevertheless_,' Severus mused, handing Pomona the potion, who took the next bed. '_What could she be going to become_?' Severus tried to assess his colleague's Animagus form, '_perhaps a turtle_?'

A minute later, his colleague transformed into a toad, causing everyone to gasp.

"Well then, I'll go next," Filius Flitwick exclaimed, climbing on the bed the know-it-all had just vacated.

'_He'll surely be a small animal, perhaps another toad or a frog_,' Severus mused as he handed the man the phial. '_Indeed_,' he congratulated himself for his good guess when a frog sat on the bed an instant later.

'_Now Poppy; that's difficult. I can imagine she'll either be an eagle or a lynx_,' he thought, observing as the Mediwitch transformed into a squirrel.

"I believe that's the form of a flying squirrel," Minerva explained hoarsely, "its features are slightly different from a normal squirrel. Now, Harry and Severus, you're the only ones left."

"Potter first," Severus growled, handing his youngest colleague a phial.

'_I can imagine_,' he began to ponder the young man's possible Animagus forms, when he became distracted as Minerva succumbed to a coughing fit.

* * *

_tbc... (If you're interested)..._

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	2. Chapter 2

**Advanced Animagus Studies – Chapter 2**

A few seconds later, Potter transformed into... "A Gryffin!" A collective gasp caused Severus to look back at his new colleague at once. '_Indeed; leave it to Potter to become a magical animal_,' he thought grimly as Pomona ushered him to the next bed.

Severus quickly gulped down the potion, noticing that it tasted not as bad as he had assumed. A short while later, his whole body erupted in pain. '_What the f..._' he mused when the others began to make a terrible noise. '_Oh, be quiet, you dunderheads; don't shout at the same time, just tell me what I am_.' He let out an angry growl as he tried to get onto his feet, noticing he had four of them.

Suddenly, a small, grey cat jumped onto the bed next to him. "Congratulations, Severus; you're a magical lynx," it told him hoarsely.

"A magical lynx?" he queried in utter surprise. '_I didn't even know there was such an animal. Oh well, I know a lynx of course, but a magical one_.' Looking at his small colleague in confusion, he asked, "Please tell me, Minerva, what is a magical lynx?"

The small cat let out a few harsh coughs, before she replied, "A magical lynx has two special abilities. He can move absolutely soundlessly, and he can change his colour at free will. Yours already did so, considering that you're completely black."

Before Severus could even admire his black fur, he automatically transformed back into his human form.

"A very beautiful form," Potter saw fit to comment, causing Severus to sneer in disappointment.

'_That was too short_,' he mused. '_Maybe I should change the potion so it'll last at least long enough to get a detailed look at the Animagus form_.'

"Your forms are all very special and lovely," Minerva croaked. "Seeing that breakfast is going to commence in ten minutes, we won't have time to practise today. Let me just make a suggestion. Considering your Animagus forms, I'd like to divide you in groups. Pomona and Filius should work together, Hermione and Poppy, and lastly Severus and Harry." With that Minerva's voice failed completely, and Severus noticed in annoyance that she had to hold on to the next bed to steady herself as she continued, "In case Poppy won't let me attend your class tomorrow morning, I'd like you to pair up and practise together."

"You definitely won't be here for at least the next five mornings," Poppy interrupted her grimly as she pocketed her wand after taking her colleague's temperature and reached for Minerva's arm.

"Now wait a moment, Poppy," Minerva croaked. "Today, you should read as much as you can about your Animagus form, and from tomorrow onwards, you'll first try to change your left hand in whatever your animal has instead of your hand. If you manage that, you'll continue with your right hand, and then, I'll give you further instructions."

"I suggest that all pairs meet in their own offices to practise, and we'll meet here again all together let's say Saturday next week," Poppy replied firmly, fastening her grip on Minerva's arm.

Completely ignoring Minerva's weak protests, everyone approved of Poppy's suggestion, and Severus hissed, "Potter, come to my office tomorrow morning," glad that his younger colleague agreed immediately.

'_So much about skipping breakfast_,' Severus thought in annoyance. He was too tired to eat anything right now, but seeing that Poppy led Minerva to one of the teachers' rooms behind the hospital wing, he had to make his appearance in the Great Hall. '_Why for God's sake did she have to make me the Deputy Headmaster? And then pair me up with Potter?_' he thought, incredulously._ 'She should have known better_.' Silently, he strode into the Great Hall in front of his colleagues, tuning out their annoying babbling.

HP

"Severus, you haven't eaten anything yet. Even if Minerva isn't here to keep an eye on you, you have to properly eat," Pomona's voice brought him out of his reverie.

Severus looked across the table, startled. "Thank you for your concern, Pomona, but I'm fine," he replied, somehow failing to make his voice sound like a sneer as he craved the warmth of his mug, which he was holding in both hands. "I have to prepare my classroom," he added a very valid excuse to retire from the noisy Great Hall.

'_I don't know why I'm so tired today, but well, thank God it's Friday. I just hope I won't get sick as well_,' he thought as he prepared his classroom for the first class. '_Oh no, the Slytherin and Gryffindor first-years! That's just what I needed right now_.' Before he dove into his traditional speech for the first-years, he instructed the students, "A Slytherin student on the right side of each table, and a Gryffindor student on the left side."

'_I'm going soft_,' he mused as he explained about the difference between magical and non magical ingredients in a much more gentle way than usual. However, he was impressed to see the pairs from the different Houses work together peacefully. '_Perhaps they understood what I told them last night, and who knows what Potter put into their heads_.'

As soon as he was able to dismiss the students without having to fear that they'd be at their second class way too early, he strode into his private lab to retrieve a Pepperup potion, hoping that would help him to wake up properly. Unfortunately, he realised soon that it didn't help much and spent the second class walking through the classroom in order not to fall asleep at his desk.

Severus had just taken his seat at the Head table when Potter's annoying voice penetrated his ears.

"Severus, what did you do to the first-years?"

Severus looked up from the cup he was holding on to as to a lifeline, throwing the younger man a bewildered look, sneering, "I didn't do anything to your precious first years, Potter."

"Oh well, you didn't understand me correctly, sir. For the whole seven years I attended Hogwarts..."

'_Yes yes, we know, we all attended Hogwarts for seven years_,' Severus thought in complete annoyance.

"... I have never experienced anything else but to have a classroom with one side filled with students from one House and the other side of the aisle with students from another House," the dunderhead continued. "Today, in my second class, the first-years entered the class and sat down in pairs, and the strange thing about it was that, apart from a few exceptions, each pair consisted of one Slytherin and one Gryffindor student."

"Well, I let them pair up like that," Severus replied evenly. "Perhaps the dunderheads were too stupid to realise it was only meant for the first class." '_That's interesting_,' he mused, efficiently hiding his surprise from his colleagues.

He was just about to leave the Head table when Poppy hurried into the Great Hall and took a seat between Pomona and Granger. "I just came to warn you all," she began to speak. "Minerva caught a bad bug that has been going around the wizarding world for a while. Fortunately, people under twenty years are not affected so badly. They'll merely spend a day in bed with a high fever that clears up after the first night. However, this illness hits older people badly. The symptoms are as follows. The patient feels extremely tired for one or more days, before he develops a high fever along with a bad throat infection. Both symptoms remain for a few days until up to a week, depending on how bad it is of course, and when the fever finally breaks, the patient coughs up tiny green frogs for a day or two."

"What is it called, and do you have a recipe for the antidote?" Severus drawled, finally realising why he was so extremely tired.

"It doesn't have a name, and there is no remedy except for fever reducers and of course bed rest. I spent the whole morning at St. Mungo's to inform myself and to confirm that Minerva caught this bug. If any of you feels tired, feverish, or has a sore throat, please come to see me immediately."

'_And be confined to bed for a week?_' Severus thought, incredulously. '_Only one afternoon class left, and it's the weekend, and if it takes a week before I begin coughing out the frogs, I might be lucky to have that problem next weekend, so my classes won't be affected at all. No, there is no need to tell anyone, especially as Minerva isn't here, who always watches me like a hawk, and Poppy will be busy looking after her_,' he resolved as he rose from his seat, mumbling something about preparing for his afternoon class as he left.

The rest of the day dragged on endlessly, and by the time Severus let himself sink into his bed in exhaustion, grudgingly setting his alarm clock in time for his Animagus practice in the morning, he felt outright ill. During the night, he sleeplessly turned from one side to the other, trying to find a cool place on his pillow in vain. '_I'll use the weekend to try brewing an antidote to his flu bug. Right after the Animagus practice, I'll go and visit Minerva in order to find out a bit more about it. The prospect of throwing up little frogs in a week's time doesn't seem very appealing_,' he mused as he kicked his bed covers away only to fetch them back a few minutes later.

Finally, he drifted off to sleep, finding himself in fever induced nightmares, in which he saw himself in his black lynx form, trying to flee from a toad and a frog, until he noticed being followed by a griffin, knowing that he didn't have a chance against the large, flying animal. Fortunately, his alarm clock saved him from being attacked, and he sat up, looking around in a daze.

'_Oh no, Animagus practice together with Potter_,' he groaned, lazily scrambling out of bed. '_First of all I need another Pepperup potion and a fever reducer_,' he realised as soon as he brought himself in an upright position. '_Perhaps a hot shower will help ease the symptoms a bit_,' he pondered but soon noticed that it didn't have any effect what so ever.

Twenty minutes later, Severus sat at his desk in his office, waiting for the dunderhead to arrive. '_Leave it to him to be on time for once, just when I'm feeling so bad_,' he groaned inwardly as he called his younger colleague in.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," he said, shocked at how hoarse his voice had become overnight.

"Good morning, sir. Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for you to call me by my given name like all our colleagues do?" the Gryffindor asked, throwing him a pleading look.

"Very well; if you prove not to be such a dunderhead like you made me believe during your time as a student here," Severus gave back in a vain attempt to sneer. "I suggest we move into my living room and make ourselves a bit more comfortable," he said evenly and, seeing the other nod, pulled himself up on his desk, leading the way into his private quarters.

"Severus, are you feeling all right?" Potter queried in what seemed to be genuine concern for his well-being.

"Of course," he growled. "Did you do your research about your form?"

"Yes sir. I read several books, and I have a clear image about what my form should look like. How about you, sir?"

"I have been very busy and didn't have time yet; however, I know that I can choose my colour, and my left hand is supposed to be my left front paw," Severus croaked, offering his colleague a seat as he let himself sink onto the sofa.

During the next thirty minutes, they both tried in vain to change their left hands, until Severus noticed the air around himself becoming very misty. In front of him, a huge, colourful griffin was sitting on the chair opposite of the sofa.

_

* * *

tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I hope you liked this chapter too._

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


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